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Post by ilex on Mar 15, 2013 3:51:28 GMT -5
Last fall I started a bunch of cauliflowers into what should end as a cauliflower landrace.
I am looking for information about what triggers flowering in these. Looks like some need to overwinter, while others are just X days from sowing. Are there daylenght dependant ones? I wonder because there are cauliflowers intended for harvest at very specific dates and suspect there's something more than just calculating when to sow.
Also wondering about how crossing it with relatives turns out. Guess a cross with broccoli should work quite well. I know there's such an hybrid in the US and I guess there are some intermediate plants in Italy. One with kale would also be interesting (to improve leaves as produce, something similar to the one wild gardens has). Any real experiences?
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Post by hortusbrambonii on Mar 15, 2013 5:05:49 GMT -5
All Brassica oleracea (cabbages, laccianata kales, broccolli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts,..) will cross easily, and they are also able to form hybrids with other species.
B. napus, which includes Rutabage/swede, Siberian kales and canola, originates in hybrids between forms of B. oleracea and forms of B. rapa (turnips or chinese cabbages)
I don't know if the Romanesco cabbage is really an intermediate form between cauliflower and brocolli, sources are contradicting on that one, but it is surely a beautiful vegetable! don't know what would come out of a cauliflower/brocolli cross, probably a whole variety of plants out of which interesting strains can be selected...
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Post by 12540dumont on Mar 15, 2013 13:12:31 GMT -5
www.liseed.org/osubroccoli.htmlLong Island Seed did some work with broccoli. I'm fooling around with it as well. I'm not much of a plant breeder. I planted 3 brocs that I really like (Lieven's which is an Oakleaf Broc), Alan Kapuler's which I think is superior broc, and a Di Ciccio which grows really well here and makes lots of sub heads. Lieven's is the last to bolt here. A very useful trait! So the bumble bees have just started to pop out, but there are quite a few flower flies working this patch. I'd like to get a broc that doesn't bolt at the first sign of heat, dark like Nutribud, with lots of sub heads for future picking. We'll see what the bees bring. I have cauliflower that does not do well in Winter - the Purple Sicilian type. I have cauliflower that does great in winter - Romanesco (which I do think is a cross) and White cauliflower called "All the year Round" which takes the entire year to make a cauli. (I prefer Cauli to broc any day of the year). I had huge Romanesco's this year....18 inches across. But I never plant them in Spring! books.google.com/books?isbn=0080984665 pages 12-18 discuss cauliflower. Let us know how you come along Attachments:
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Post by Drahkk on Mar 15, 2013 14:11:09 GMT -5
don't know what would come out of a cauliflower/brocolli cross, probably a whole variety of plants out of which interesting strains can be selected... Almost as many possibilities as letting pumpkins and zucchini cross. Google "broccoflower" and check out the number of different results... MB |
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Post by diane on Mar 15, 2013 23:47:25 GMT -5
There are overwintering cauliflowers. There used to be a lot of different o.p. ones, mostly developed in the Netherlands I think as they all had Walcheren as part of their names - you could choose ones that would be ready to eat anytime between February and May. The ones I used to grow produced enormous heads.
Most of the ones that are being produced in England now are hybrids. Some are male-sterile.
O.P. seeds have become rare, and a group of us here in Victoria are trying to find sources.
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Post by steev on Mar 16, 2013 0:31:52 GMT -5
I am growing Leamington Giant cauliflower, which requirers overwintering (from Seed Ambassadors).
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Post by hortusbrambonii on Mar 16, 2013 2:19:20 GMT -5
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Post by ilex on Mar 16, 2013 2:51:24 GMT -5
I must grow them fall to spring, as I have too many bugs in summer and brassicas do quite poorly here with the bugs + heat. There might be some that do well, but not in general. They do very well in cool weather (I'm in zone 9). That's also when wild relatives grow here.
I've started with a collection of Spanish varieties intended for a continual harvest of 7 months, one variety per month with specific sowing dates. Some were intended for dry farming! I'm sure I've got great genetics here.
I planted all together in October and some are starting to flower now. I should learn something about each variety. I will do further test late summer with more Spanish varieties plus whatever I can find around. I already have a couple purples and one green from Italy.
Parts of Italy were under Spanish dominion, so these varieties could have quite a long history.
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Post by 12540dumont on Mar 16, 2013 12:08:43 GMT -5
Ilex! Tell us the histories!
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Post by bunkie on Mar 16, 2013 12:31:38 GMT -5
sounds fascinating ilex!
holly, i agree about the 'all year round' for cauliflower.
also, have you tried Umpqua Broccoli? it takes a long time to bolt in heat, and puts out lots and lots of shoots.
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Post by hortusbrambonii on Mar 16, 2013 14:04:08 GMT -5
Btw, why is the hybrid called 'brocoflower'? Caulili is a much cooler word!
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Post by diane on Mar 16, 2013 17:30:16 GMT -5
Here is one of the Walcheren cauliflowers picked in May. Attachments:
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Post by 12540dumont on Mar 16, 2013 18:05:53 GMT -5
Diane, Now that my dear is a thing of beauty! Now that's a cauli to write home about!
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Post by diane on Mar 16, 2013 18:28:55 GMT -5
The April ones were like that too, but I never took a photo.
Probably too big for commercial use. Oh, maybe for restaurants.
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Post by bunkie on Mar 17, 2013 11:42:03 GMT -5
wow diane! that's amazing!
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